Kawasaki W 800 test

Menus

• W always
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• On the highway
• Departmental
• Braking
• Comfort
• Convenient
• Consumption
• Video test
• Conclusion

W always

The Neo-retro is good. And when the neo-retro is available in A2, it’s even better. And that’s good because the Kawasaki W800 is a modern vintage motorcycle available as standard in A2. Yes, don’t look! No need for clamping or unlocking to be in or out of A2. But then, is it a calf? Try to tell you everything.

LED lighting

There are builders who copy the others. And there are those who have a real story and who are looking back to the future to bring back to life models that shone over forty years ago. And this is the case with Kawasaki, including with the W. Because the W was first the 1966 W1 … before seeing it return in the early 2000s with the W650 then the W800 in 2011 .. . which disappears because of Euro4. Fortunately there is … Kawasaki. And the bike has been revised to be now euro4 with, in particular, probes at each exhaust and no longer a single probe. And above all, the W800 returns in A2 and in two versions, Street and Cafe. All that ! And yes ! Kawasaki has spoiled us this year, especially with the Cafe version, that of our test.

A style inherited from the 1966 W1

Discovery

My god she is beautiful! I admit, I love this look, a mix of vintage and sportiness. In addition, we are not in a pale Chinese copy, but with a well-born and extremely well finished Japanese from the front headlight to the stitched saddle. We let you appreciate the photos for that, so the line lives up to its history dating back to the W1, itself inspired by the Meguro and before it the BSA A7. There is a bit of English in the family tree.

LED rear light

In the center of the double cradle frame, we find the vertical twin, 4 stroke, air cooling, distribution by single overhead camshaft, 4 valves per 773 cm3 cylinder, like the previous W800. And to be accessible to the A2 license, we have a power of 47.5 horses (or even 48 horses according to the manufacturer’s technical sheet) at 6,000 rpm but a torque of 62.9 Nm at 4,800 rpm.

Vertical twin, 4 stroke, air cooled, single overhead camshaft distribution, 4 valves per cylinder

It is not very powerful, but it is not what one asks of it. We ask him for sensations and torque at low revs and that’s good, the maximum torque is under 5,000 rpm.

In the saddle

Well, there too, it looks like an old one with a minimalist meter. Admittedly, there is a small digital screen, but overall otherwise, it is fully sixties with the bare minimum a speedometer, a tachometer and basta. And the mini digital display just takes care of the trip and the clock. No fuel gauge, on-board computer or other fantasy, but just the essentials with a yellow reserve indicator. But it has improved compared to the previous version of the W800 with a red zone still at 7,000 rpm.

Old-fashioned counter

The saddle is low. It is indeed a low saddle, especially for small riders of 1.70m like me. It allows you to put your feet on the ground and it facilitates maneuvers. And yet the Cafe is 20mm longer than the Street, with 790mm versus 770mm. Both models are therefore accessible for small sizes. And that makes "only" 223 kilos all full..

2.135 mm long and 925 mm wide

Cafe Racer obliged, we fall the bust here to go grab the handles located low. These aren’t really bracelets, but it almost looks like it in terms of position, without being so extreme. But the position is still more resting on the wrists than the standard version, more straight.

Contact

Ah this exhaust! A nice low noise, pleasant, deep. Like what we can do approved without pissing off the neighbors. That’s right. First … the soft and precise gearbox accompanies the driver to wind up quietly. With the W800 we set off on a smooth journey.

Double exhaust with the most beautiful effect

In the city

Small in size, the W800 moves easily and plays with the interface. The turning radius is not excellent but one circulates in a fluid way in the traffic without needing to pay attention, especially since the bi accepts to turn quietly at 2,000 rpm on the fifth and last report. It is just necessary to avoid the plugs, for the support on the wrists. As long as we drive, it’s fine. But at low speed, the wrists are broken in the long run.

Neo-retro: it has everything of an old one

On the highway

The W800 voluntarily engages on the motorway and still purrs at 5,000 rpm at 140 km / h, on the last report. It could go faster by going to tease an almost 170 km / h (counter on German autobahn) but it behaves like an old one; in short, she lives, which really encourages people to stay on the road legal system; and that’s good, it’s a motorcycle for young drivers, who will keep their pink paper for longer (well before). The old biker will regain a behavior he has known and will adapt to it very well. You would think that with this pretty bubble and with the position, we would be well protected from the wind. It is not so. The position is not leaned forward enough and the nose screen too low, with an essentially aesthetic function. So we take everything in the face, like a roadster. At most, the speed can lighten the weight on the wrists. It is therefore also necessary to provide a well soundproofed helmet because it is not the bubble that will protect. In short, the highway is not his cup of green tea. Green tea is healthy, but it’s bitter. It is therefore with pleasure that we come back to stretch our legs on the small roads..

A living engine

Departmental

I love the look of the cafe racers as much as I hate their driving with an exclusive and overly sporty stance. But as we have said, it is not really a sportswoman, even vintage. So well, we are rather one with the machine, especially as the knees stick well to the tank. And what looked like a turtle becomes fun. No, I’m not SM even if it was a great car and frankly we are discovering a new machine. It is not very demonstrative but the twin offers a real life, including with its vibrations around 4,000 rpm. This makes you either pass the following gears or increase the tachometer. The unpleasant vibrations in this area of ​​4.000 are forgotten on the other regimes. They are always there but accompany you without attacking you. And suddenly, we appreciate the ride. A ride that can accelerate even if we quickly discover the limits of the model, both in terms of ground clearance and handling. It’s still healthy, but the W800 lets you know early on that it’s not for a little fun with friends. That’s right, she wants you to stay an old biker. His attention touches you suddenly. And that’s what makes you get fond of this machine.

Ideal for on the road, solo

Braking

The W800 is well equipped with its 320mm front disc and 270mm rear disc. Fortunately I already remembered the previous W800 which did not brake from the rear. It did not improve, even by slamming the brake pedal. It’s not even a speed bump. Just the rear brake will serve you in 30 km / h zones to slow down. And yet, the drum has been replaced by a disc. Conversely, the single disc of the front brake is super powerful and handles with two fingers. It also offers a good feeling. So in the end, it brakes well or even hard and even if there was no ABS, there is no risk of blocking from the rear..

Single 320 mm disc, dual piston caliper

Comfort

The comfort is quite good for the pilot. The passenger has two nice handles, completely unnecessary, because they are located too low. Or you have to be one of the Fantastic 4 to have arms that stretch out. On the Cafe Racer, the passenger seat is very pretty and slender but small; in the end, when it’s small, it’s good too. But she is leaning back. Suddenly, at each start or acceleration, the pilot has the impression of losing his passenger. And it is not only an impression, lived by the passenger who must really cling to the pilot not to remain stranded. In short, it is a machine of selfishness … or requiring a very cool pilot, a lot of love from the passenger, or reserved for use as a duo to go from one cafe terrace to another. Wanted an excuse to be quiet and go for a solo ride? This is the W800 for you. The street does noticeably better for the passenger with a flatter seat and not tilted back.

Saddle а 790 mm (770 mm for the Street version) good for the rider

Convenient

There is room for the mandatory yellow vest under the saddle and that’s it. Even a disk block does not pass. And when we speak of disk block, none of our rather universal disk units have succeeded in getting into the disk precisely; even the "disk block" system that hangs in the rear crown does not work because it is full. Something else will have to be found to protect it. U-carrier must be installed suddenly, even if it will then float between the spokes of the wheels.

But since you are a loner, you can put your bag on the passenger seat and grab the tensioners on the passenger handles. Finally, you have found a use for them. But there are also these very practical little hooks in addition (to hang the bags, not the passenger).

No central stand here as on the 2011 vintage, but the side stand is positioned well and easily.

Consumption

The good thing about neo-retro is that it looks like an old one but with the benefits of a new one. Suddenly, the consumption has really dropped to stabilize around 4.5 liters per hundred. And with the 15-liter tank (1 liter more than the previous vintage), we can suddenly cover 300 kilometers.

15 liter tank

Video test

Conclusion

Have you fallen for her look? You will fall for the life you will spend with it. The W800 is an endearing machine that you will always find with just as much pleasure, after leaving it for a few rare hours. She always has this taste to come back to it, her head in the bubble, which transports you with a touch of nostalgia to a new destination. With Kawasaki, you also take a ticket for longevity and robustness, with a big dose of serenity. We would have liked a price at least psychologically under the bar of ten thousand euros (10,849 euros) but it is about the same price level as the competition even if the Bonneville has a larger more demonstrative engine..

Strong points

• look
• living machine

Weak points

• duo
• price

Kawasaki W800 technical sheet

Test conditions

• Itinerary: small varied roads + interurban highways with a bit of town
• Motorcycle mileage: 300 km

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